"From far below, a scratchy bristlyness sprang upon me.." Which figurative language device is being used here?

What type of figurative language is used in this passage from "letter from birmingham jail"? just as the prophets of the eighth century b.c. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the lord" far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns, and just as the apostle paul left his village of tarsus and carried the gospel of jesus christ to the far corners of the greco roman world, so am i compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own hometown. allusion symbolism imagery metaphor

How does the imagery used to describe the picture contrast with the imagery used to describe the news?

How does the author characterize theseus in the story? cite evidence from the text in your response